The Survival Games
by hunter049
Summary: Waking up in a strange place is bad enough. Realizing you're about to have to fight for your life is even worse. But knowing that everything is broadcast and everyone can see is hell.
1. Waking Up and Falling Down

**I don't own Minecraft. That'd be Notch, his partners, Mojang, and affiliate companies.**

**I've messed around with deciding on leaving this on or off. But in the end I decided, after a long while, to leave it on. I liked writing it and personally want to see how this fanfiction ends myself. **

* * *

"Welcome to the Coliseum!" A voice boomed.

I blinked and stood. My head felt fuzzy, but was clearing up fast. My vision was blurry for a bit, but I could look around and see who was talking.

I gaped at my situation. I was in the Survival Games. Usually, I just heard of these brutish events at the tavern, drinking apple cider. Now, I'd be a contender. Only one winner could be crowned, and they'd receive riches and fame beyond their wildest dreams.

In the center was a massive trap. Not a true trap, really, as it was just eight chests around a stone stump. The chests were inside a pseudo-temple, with vine-covered pillars as the perimeter.

The chests themselves weren't Trap Chests. These were useful in that when opened, they'd emit a redstone signal, anything powered by redstone nearby would activate. No, these were dangerous because of the strange pull people have to new things.

Most normally rushed to the middle, and gained armor and weapons. After that, there'd be a slaughter in the center with the best surviving and potentially making allies. Some more sensible, or at least less foolhardy, people would run from the center. They hope to find chests out in the wilderness or structures.

Now, I'm in the Survival Games, surrounded by people who'd probably kill me without a second thought. After all, it's kill or be killed in here.

I looked around to see who I was up against. Some guys were big and ready to rumble. Others. like me, were smaller and ready to run. The girls were the same in that they were all different.

One looked at me as I looked her over, and we kept eye contact for a few seconds before she broke it to continue her sweep. I blinked and kept looking around.

No one else kept eye contact with me. So that meant there was something different about her. I reexamined her. She was lithe, and her long brown hair went past her shoulders. If I had to guess, she'd run away.

_Perhaps I'll run in her direction_, I thought. _No,_ I chided myself, _no one can be trusted. For all I know, she kept eye contact with me to see how I'd hold up._

Then the announcer boomed, "Alright, now that all of you are awake and alert, we can start soon. Do not try to get off your platform, or you will be blown up. There are pressure plates around your platform connected to TNT. Once the games begin, the plates will deactivate."

He continued. "The only rule is to survive. Do whatever you want after that, because there's no such thing as foul play in here."

A feminine voice spoke. "We here wish you the best of luck. However, there may only be one victor. May the odds be ever in your favor."

The male announcer was back. "Now, only five seconds remain before the games start. Be careful you don't start early," he chuckled. The was a cut-off sound signifying the disconnection of the people above us, and then a cannon sounded.

Suddenly everyone rushed in some direction, and I realized we had begun. I ran straight in the opposite direction of the chests, and towards the forests. I lunged up for a vine, and climbed to the top of a tree.

Moving some leaves around to make myself unseen, I watched the center. The girl I saw earlier dashed across the battlefield in the center. She snatched some steak from a guy's hand before he could swing his sword.

I jumped to the next tree, and the next tree. _Lucky the trees are so close together,_ I thought. Of course, in thinking this I distracted myself and miscalculated my jump. The ground rushed up to meet me.

A sickening snap entered my ear, and I looked down to see bone shards coming out of my ankle. The bloody limb gave off no pain, strangely enough, and I even felt cold.

_I'm going into shock, _I realized. Hobbling under a tree, I snapped off a branch to dig myself a little hole. I even pulled some leaves over the hole so it'd seem to be a bush.

No sooner had I jumped in and hid myself than a new voice rang out. "I heard it come from this way!" I peeked through the foliage and saw a rather big guy a foot from my hiding place.

I squeaked and made myself small. He must have heard my whimper.

"I heard something just now." He seemed to be sniffing the air for my scent. I panicked and rolled around in my hole covering myself in mud. I heard it was good for masking my scent.

Unfortunately, in my movement I jostled a few leaves from above. As they fell my frantic rolling crunched the leaves. The big guy kicked my fake bush off.

"What do we have here? See, I told you I wasn't crazy!" My eyes were wide with fear, and he grabbed me by my now grimy shirt.

"Now listen up, pipsqueak. We're gonna give you a choice. Join us, and survive until the end. Or refuse, and die now as I crush you like a twig." To emphasize this, he stepped on a branch and broke it in half.

I squirmed, trying to escape these people and their rhetorical question.

Some girl fingered her bowstring absent-mindedly. One guy had two hatchets, both covered in blood. Another guy had a sword scabbard at his hip, his hand on the hilt. The guy holding me had bloodshot eyes, and I smelled potion off him.

_He must be using some Strength potion and his already impressive strength for an overkill combo. If they're waiting, then this isn't a rhetorical question..._

They were ready for either answer, so I looked at my prospects.

On one hand, I could run. But with this broken ankle and the helpful shock fading fast, I couldn't see myself getting far. I'd be killed after that, or possibly during, if the archer had any skill.

If I joined... I'd have nearly guaranteed survival and protection. They might be able to fix my leg. I'd get tools and maybe food. I wouldn't be lonely. But with only one winner able to be crowned, infighting would start. Oh well. It'd be a good ride until then.

I gulped. "I'll join you."

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**Not much, is it? That was just the first chapter. Our protagonist joins a group for safety, but nothing is safe in the Survival Games. Next chapter will be up someday. I hope you liked it, and if you like my style, read my other works too. Read, review, relax, repeat.**


	2. Music of the Fallen

**I don't own Minecraft or the Hunger Games. Those are (Notch, his partners, Mojang, and affiliate companies) and (Suzanne Collins and affiliate companies) respectively. Please don't sue!**

**So... it actually doesn't seem that bad, after re-reading my own work. Maybe I'm too harsh on myself sometimes. Or maybe I'm delusional and my writing is terrible. Honestly, I can't tell. Are you all patronizing me?! You-**

**Ahem. On with the show.**

* * *

The brute let me down, and I cried out as my broken leg absorbed some of my weight. He lifted me slightly.

"Name's Truman. What's yours?"

I squeaked out, "Hunter. Hunter Thompson."

"Alright. Fletcher, get Hunter a regeneration potion and a bottle of water."

The dual hatchet guy nodded, placed them in his belt, and took off his backpack. After rummaging for a bit as the shock wore off faster and faster, he finally took out the potion. Truman took out the stopper, and handed me the potion.

"Drink up. You'll need it to keep up with us."

I obeyed, flinching as the last of the shock ebbed away, leaving me with the full pain of my leg. The somewhat sweet liquid flew down my throat. It produced a pleasant sensation in my belly, before scattering and reforming on my leg. I let out a groan as it healed it, slowly.

I accepted the water bottle that Truman offered me, realizing my short adventure had left me parched. I drank the contents and left the bottle on the ground as I stood, my leg fully healed and my confidence rising.

"All better?" Truman asked. I looked at him, as his voice seemed too sweet for someone who just threatened to kill me a few minutes ago. He still waited for my answer, and I nodded.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Alright, so as you probably know, he is Fletcher. Guy knows how to use those hatchets, so he sticks with me as the main part of the team."

"The other one's Chris. He's rather handy with the sword he carries, so I befriended him."

He pointed to the female archer of the squad. "She's Rose. As prickly as one, too, if you cross her. Otherwise, she's as sweet as her namesake. She, and now you, are the nimblest of the team. So you'll join her on the trees, keeping watch for any other teams."

I opened my mouth to ask how he knew I was nimble, but he interrupted me. "I figured you were hopping along and fell from the trees to snap your ankle. So you must be pretty agile to do all that, even if you failed pretty badly soon after."

I studied the apparent leader of the team. He was smart enough to deduce how I got injured, caring enough to make sure I was ready to go, and clever enough to find me hiding. The tough act must have been another part of him, the part that came out in combat to protect his teammates.

I smiled at him. Maybe I had him all wrong. He smirked back. "Alright, that's really all there is to it. I just use the Strength potions to raise my already considerable strength. Welcome to the team."

* * *

I scaled a tree, and stood at the top only to find Rose waiting for me. Her bow was ready, and an arrow was pinned between the wood of her weapon and her hand. All I carried was a dagger, as there had been nothing else left. I didn't mind; a weapon itself might let me come out alive from a fight.

Her face was outlined by the sunlight and the shadows. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she looked at me with a curious gaze.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing. You're just a bit slow for someone so nimble."

"I... just had my leg mended." My excuse was as transparent as glass, and we both knew it. But she nodded, and lunged from this tree to the next, looking at me expectantly.

I stayed there, momentarily frozen by her agility. She had landed with little recoil, and still seemed able to immediately dispose of a threat. I jumped, although I landed nowhere near as gracefully.

Still, I kept up with her as the rest of the team ran below. I noted the sky start to color, and as soon as I had thought it, a whistle came from below.

She let herself drop straight through the branches, and landed perfectly. I gaped and slid down the tree, incredulous at her skill.

Truman looked at the team. "It's getting night. Although we _could_ keep going, I say we stay here. The trees seem to provide the most cover I've seen in a forest right here. So let's gather wood and make a fire. It'll probably attract a person or two, but nothing we can't handle. Alright, spread out and gather what you can while daylight aids us!"

We all walked around, grabbing branches and keeping an eye out for people. A cannon sounded far off, signalling a death of a competitor. I bowed my head in respect for a second before hurrying back to the camp site.

* * *

Night fell quickly. I looked up at the stellar night sky. The fire blazed in front of us, all in a circle. I thought, _If I do die, at least I died having seen the magnificent stars. Couldn't see _that_ in the city._

I asked Fletcher, "I didn't hear any cannons in the beginning. How did no one die in that beginning bloodbath?"

"Easy," he said. "No one has time to hang around in the beginning. Any fights end with a draw, since the fighters usually run away."

"Then how'd you get the blood on your hatchets?"

He smirked. "Just killed a cow. We'll be eating that tonight. These beauties haven't tasted true blood yet."

I turned to Chris. "How did-" A whizzing sound sped by my ear, and I saw an arrow stick out of Chris's head.

"Scatter!" Truman cried.

Rose and I climbed trees, and my tree shook with the arrows sticking out of it right below me. Truman drank a regeneration potion, then charged into the trees with a battle cry. Fletcher dodged into the bushes, and I heard a cannon fire in response to Chris's demise.

Rose fired off an arrow into a thicket, and a moan could be heard. A cannon sounded as we scaled back down, and I checked out the bush. A body was laying in the twigs, and he also carried a dagger like mine. An arrow stuck out of his heart, and his face was contorted into one of quick but painful agony.

"Nice shot, Rose."

"Thanks. How you holding up, Fletcher?" She called.

"Fine. Just ready to attack a newcomer, just in case."

I looked around. "Where's Truman?"

Rose replied, "He said that if we were separated from him, to stay where we were last time we saw him. So let's stay here."

I nodded, and Fletcher came out of the bushes to join us. I looked around, then gazed sadly at Chris. "Poor guy."

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**So that was Chapter 2. Things are not what they seem, evidently. This team is stronger than it looks, but one member is down for the count. Deaths have begun, and with them the drum-like cannons. So, you know, stay tuned.**

**Do as you will, but I would love a review. I'll reply!**


	3. Ceremonies of the Dead

**Don't own Minecraft or the Hunger Games. Notch and friends plus Mojang, and Suzanne Collins own them, respectively in relation to the comma placement.**

**Alright, so I'd like to take this time to thank Pokemon Storyteller for being a supporter of this story and others. You rock. All guests, I thank you but can't truly do so since I cannot PM you in gratitude. Sorry.**

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"May you walk with him, Notch. Guide him to the light as only You can." Rose finished her prayer for their friend Chris, and I stood with a crudely crafted stone shovel in hand.

Fletcher gave him a funny look. I asked, "What?"

The dual blade master cocked his head. "When did you have time to make that?"

"Rose's prayer. Notch needs to hear it, but down here we need to bury his body. Just scraped a stone flat and attached it to a stick with some vines. We can bury him as he deserves."

The archer smiled. "Such a wonderful idea."

I smiled back, and began to dig. The other two kept lookout.

I finally finished, my back aching and my hands burning from what I was sure were blisters.

We slowly brought the fallen swordsman's dead body into the grave, and buried him. It wasn't much, but it was all we could do.

Suddenly a rustling in the bushes behind them caught our attention. Weapons at the ready, the other two covered me by instinctively moving to a triangle formation.

Two hands popped out of the bushes, and Rose was ready to let loose an arrow. Then a familiar face slowly emerged from the foliage, calmly ordering to lower their weapons.

Rose smiled and obliged. The other two sighed in relief and did the same.

My shoulders drooped as the first day took its toll. "What happened?"

Truman sat down on a nearby log. "I went to get revenge. Of course, I wanted it slow and painful. So I just broke all of that rat's limbs and crushed his ribs _just_ enough to create slight internal bleeding."

Fletcher grinned. "Nice work."

Truman proudly beamed at his team. Then the loss overcame him briefly, and his face became stormy with a threat of rain. His clouds lightened, but he wasn't sunny.

"He was a good friend."

Everyone bowed their heads in a moment of silence. Afterwards, Truman gave off orders. "Alright. It's far too dangerous after what just happened to sleep peacefully. Two of us will stay awake, and the others will sleep. At the peak of the moon's journey, we switch. Then everyone should be awake by sunrise."

The group nodded. I immediately said, "I'll be on the first shift."

"Alright, then. I'll join you." The leader said.

Fletcher and Rose nodded, and their shoulders slumped as they could finally relax and try to rest. Far off, a cannon fired.

* * *

"Are you worried?" Truman asked after the only two were soundly asleep.

I considered the question, then nodded slightly. "But I'm glad that I have you guys."

Truman examined me, remaining solemn. "I suppose I hold a bit more of the burden. Do you guys see me as the leader?"

I easily nodded. "You're the strongest, in more ways than one. You haven't led us astray."

"I let Chris die."

I clasped my hand on my teammate's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault. None of us could have seen that coming."

A single tear fell down Truman's cheek, before he nodded and looked to the stars. I was reminded that, even with all the chaos around us, these were only people. We were only human.

We chatted amicably after that moment of bonding. The moon soon shone its full brightness down on us, and I poked Rose awake while Truman gently shook Fletcher.

Rose blinked sleepily for a few seconds, then her eyes focused and softened as she gazed into my tired brown ones. "Guess it's our turn?"

"Yup."

She nodded and stood. Fletcher stood as well, and the pairs switched off. I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of pigs flying through the air.

* * *

Morning came far too soon. I slowly stood and stretched to get my blood flowing. Truman rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles.

The group quickly gathered itself, and Fletcher munched on an apple. We preferred to eat the leftover beef that the apple eater had collected.

Fletcher shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Truman bit off a piece of the beef patty he held, then pondered for a moment. "After this, everyone get an apple and store it in their pockets. Never know when our next meal will be."

I nodded, and Rose held her beef in her mouth as she nimbly jumped and snatched an apple. She put it in her pocket, and sat next to me as she slowly chewed her food.

Fletcher finished his apple, and plucked a single seed from it before chucking it straight into the forest. Truman shot him a glare.

"What? Not like anyone's going to-"

"Ow!" A feminine voice cried out from the direction of the projectile fruit.

We got into our battle positions, with Rose and I in separate trees watching over the other two. Fletcher had a mad glint in his eyes as he twirled his hatchets in his hands. Truman seemed ready to die before another teammate was killed.

Rose silently went to get an aerial view of the potential threat, and I followed just in case.

I glanced down once I noticed movement from below, and fell out of the tree in surprise at the newcomer.

It was the same girl from the beginning. I recalled her running through the center, stealing a quick bite before escaping into the surrounding forest.

I blinked before letting out a nervous greeting. "Hi."

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**Sorry it was a bit short. It's a bit late, and I wanted this out before something happened. Hope you liked it!**


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